One Candle: A Hanukkah Holiday Book for Kids

by Eve Bunting, K. Wendy Popp (Illustrator)

For one family the traditional Hanukkah celebration has a deeper meaning. Amidst the food and the festivities, Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose begin their story -- the one they tell each year. They pass on to each generation a tale of perseverance during the darkest hours of the Holocaust, and the strength it took to continue to honor Hanukkah in the only way they could. Their story reaffirms the values of tradition and family, but also shows us that by continuing to honor the tragedies and the triumphs of the past there will always be hope for the future.

Genres: Picture Books, Holocaust, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Jewish, Family, Holiday

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Also known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.

Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.

Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.

In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for reading during Hanukkah. It would also be a good choice to introduce Hanukkah and/or the Holocaust to school classes, perhaps ideally in third or fourth grade, but a much wider age range could be appropriate.

It’s a terrific multigenerational family story. The girl narrator’s voice is wonderful. She tells about her extended family getting together for a dinner the first night of Hanukkah. Her grandmother and great aunt were in Buchenwald concentration camp together during WWII. Grandma conducts an annual ritual, where she closely replicates what she did in that camp during a Hanukkah to give herself and the other women hope, the carving of a potato candle, and in continuing to do so in the present, shares a wonderful experience with her family, while she honors the past and the women she knew then. The story is both terribly sad and uplifting. The close family relationships and the feeling of security in the present are brilliantly contrasted with the horror, solidarity, and hope of the past. These family members are very likeable.

I am a huge fan of these illustrations; they’re perfect. The realistic yet luminous quality of the portrayal of family members and place works well, as does the change in style and color for the pictures of the people in and place of Buchenwald in the past.

A special and emotionally touching picture book that packs an awful lot into its pages. It’s powerful, gentle, and compelling.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extended family celebrates Hanukkah, while also recalling the horrors of the Holocaust, in this gentle, contemplative picture-book from the prolific Eve Bunting. Every year, the young narrator's Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose perform the same ritual at the close of Hanukkah dinner: carving out the inside of a potato, filling it with oil, and creating a homemade candle, they tell the story of their experiences in a concentration camp, and the time they created just such a candle, smuggling a tiny potato out of the kitchen in which they were forced to work, and lighting a single light, back in their barracks, to mark the "Festival of Lights."

I feel like this book did everything "right." The story was poignant, without being overdone, emphasizing the importance of remembering the past, especially at the holidays. The illustrations by K. Wendy Popp were somber and moving, with a photographic quality that was quite intense at times. But somehow, although I acknowledge the virtues of the book, and was moved by it, I simply didn't feel as much of an emotional connection as I'd expected. Perhaps I read it at the wrong time? In any case, One Candle is still a book I'd recommend to those looking to explore, with children, the "presence of the past" in a family's life, particularly at the holidays.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister Ruth whispers close to my ear, "Why do you think Grandma wants to do this every year?"

I shrug my shoulders because I don't know for sure. But I think it has to do with being strong in the bad time and remembering it in the good time.

This was a beautiful book about a family gathering on the first night of Hanukkah. Told from the perspective of a young girl (8-ish?), she describes for readers the traditional foods and activities of the evening, including her grandmother's retelling of a Hanukkah long ago. Her grandmother had been separated from all of her family except her sister and imprisoned at Buchenwald, a concentration camp during WWII. They worked in the kitchens, preparing food for the officers while they went hungry. Despite the great danger of doing so, she smuggled out a bit of margarine and a potato, and used those items and a bit of string to create a candle to light for Hanukkah. And each year with her family, she would retell the story of that time and recreate the hollowed-out potato candle. The illustrations are beautiful, with the ones portraying the memories being done in sepia tones, like old photographs.

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story about a family who comes together for Hanukkah and every year, the younger family members become acquainted with their Grandmother and Great-Aunt's story about survival in a concentration camp during WWII. It's a touching and inspiring story about hope, faith and the importance of passing down memories from one generation to the next. We really loved this story.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the loveliest children's books I have ever held in my hands. These people and their story come right off the page. The book is luminous.

[Luann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brought tears to my eyes, even the second time I read it. The illustrations are lovely and simply perfect for the story. This would be a great way to introduce students to the Holocaust.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eve Bunting has written out of her lane quite a bit, and it's not something I'm generally fond of - so I'll be brief. It's frustrating for someone writing a Jewish story who is not Jewish (Irish?) and then writes the meal as not being kosher (and I get that not all Jews keep kosher, but if you're not even Jewish, why write that?).
The story itself isn't horrible. The art is like a literal memory. I like the idea of remembering how Jewish prisoners would risk so much to celebrate holidays in the death camps.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm, beautiful, lifelike illustrations accompany a poignant story of a grandmother who hollows out a potato into a Hanukkah candle—just like she did in the concentration camp.

[James Carrigy · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

A good retelling of a deeply personal family story.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

We also read this one tonight. Eve Bunting is an author I admire. I cried as I was reading this deeply evocative story of hope and celebration throughout the horrible and the good seasons of life. L'chaim!

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book leaves the really hard part up to the parents to tell.

[heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family. Survival. Hope. Hanukkah. Holocaust. Remembering.

[(NS) Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I taught third grade I always thought what if the topic of Holocaust came up in the history book? How would I introduce it? I thought discussing the holocaust would be a difficult topic to discuss with elementary students. As I began to read this book, I thought it would be a great introduction about the holocaust and Hanukah. This story has made me think how important is to remember those who suffered and died during the holocaust.

This story begins with a family celebrating Hanukkah by retelling the story of how Grandma and her sister (Aunt Rose) had spent time at concentration camp. Every year on the first night of Hanukkah Grandma tells her experience as a 12 year old girl in Buchenwald, where she risked her life stealing a potato to create a Hanukkah light. At the end of dinner, Grandma makes a candle from a potato to remember the past.

I thought the illustrations in the book were wonderful. The illustration presented the past which looked as it was old photographs. Also, I had to look up a word that I wasn't familiar with in the story. The word was shammash. According to the encyclopedia the word shammash means, "The ninth light of the candelabrum (menorah) used on Hanukkah is also called shammash, because its flame is used to light the other candles.” In addition, I'm not familiar with the Jewish custom, and wondered about the placement of the candle was correct next to the window sill. In the text book and in class I remember discussing and reading about authors not doing enough research on the specific topic being address in the book. I will discuss this story to my friend that is Jewish and ask questions about the placement of the candles. Also, I would like to do some research about Hanukkah, so I can become more familiar with the celebration before reading this story to my students.

[Sarah Landwehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One Candle" is a book about religious culture by Eve Bunting. The text details the story of a family celebrating Hanukkah. As a part of their Hanukkah celebration, the grandma tells the story of her time spent working with her sister, Rose, in the Nazi camps during World War II. The two sisters secretly stole a potato, butter, and matches so that they could make one candle to light for Hanukkah. In secrecy, the women celebrated their Jewish holiday and a bit of hope was renewed within them. Years later, the family still lights this solitary potato candle in remembrance and celebration of life. K Wendy Popp’s illustrations successfully capture the characters’ emotions, and sepia tones let the reader know when illustrations describe events of the past. The story sheds light on both the experience of the Jews during the Holocaust and the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. As a teacher, I would use this book in conjunction with a history unit or a unit about world religions. However, I would only use this book with fourth or fifth grade students due to the gravity of the subject matter.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story soft, powerful tale is very evocative for me. A family gathers together to celebrate Hanukkah, and Grandma brings a potato as she does every year. When she was younger, the narrator thought this potato was to make latkes. But now she realizes that it's so that Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose can tell the story of surviving the Holocaust. In a concentration camp, they stole a potato at tremendous risk, and lit the Hanukkah candle using a bit of margerine and a thread. As the young girl today wrestles with hearing this story, she thinks, "But I think it has to do with being strong in the bad time and remembering it in the good time." While it discusses the Holocaust, it's a good introductory book, never naming the concentration camps as such, but talking about it as a bad time.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a sweet story of Holocaust remembrance! It's steeped in memory and tradition and beauty and family, with very little to scare early readers (or listeners) away from an introduction to the Holocaust. The camp is described as "the worst prison," where Grandma and her sister were always cold, always hungry, forced to work, and packed in with 6 other women. The guards are menacing, but not abusive or lethal. The illustrations are suggestive of poverty, but not gruesomely so. The most colorful pictures are reserved for the present-day family gathering.

[Stephanie Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was interesting because i love how the book has to do with both Hanukkah and the Holocaust. They told a story about how the Jews used steal potatoes and lite them for Hanukkah. It was a really good book I would recommend it!

[Sophia Arredondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly confusing, but it could've been the way the reader read. However, this book was very cute for children and explained some of the cons of being Jewish during World War 2.

[Nicholas Arcolesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book because it actually gives a personal experience about the Holocaust and not documents about the Holocaust.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. A good introduction to Hanukkah and the Holocaust. Demonstrates family tradition and shows the value of sharing the past, living in the present and hope for the future.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly, astoundingly, on the cover of this book is...

The most beautiful menorah I've ever seen. (And as a Jewish girl, I've seen my share.)

INTRODUCING A MYSTERY, AND A POTATO

As for what's inside this book, yes, this is a Hanukkah story. Children at the festive table noticed something special, and they started to wonder about a mystery: a very ordinary potato; a big, brown potato, put on the table.

* Celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, first the shammash was lit. That's the main candle in the center of the menorah.
* Second, one more candle was lit with the shammash, placed to burn all the way down in its position on the menorah.

Each night of Hanukkah, one more candle is added to the array, until the menorah glows 100% full.

Back to this story, in the light of the two burning candles, special prayers were said. (BTW, sometimes folks sing these traditional words.) Then everybody in the narrator's family started to talk, and to eat.

AFTER A PAUSE, MORE ABOUT THAT MYSTERY

Eventually the narrator's Grandma took out a knife; then she recounted the family history about what happened during the Holocaust. Neither the narrator of this picture book, nor her younger sister, had ever heard this story before. And yes, a raw potato was part of that story.

Grandma told how, when she was a girl, she celebrated Hanukkah along with her sister. Both of them risked their lives to celebrate this sacred holiday, because both were prisoners at the Nazi's Buchenwald concentration camp.

NARRATION IN THIS BOOK IS SPARE, AND SO MOVING

Especially that ending -- very moving. Although I won't tell, no spoiler from me, no no!

FIVE STARS for this eloquent picture book, recounted with such finesse by Eve Bunting. Also, big thanks for the lifelike paintings of family members, gemlike beauties created by K. Wendy Popp.

NOW FOR A CAUTION: GOODREADERS, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS

Once you take away a child's innocence, nobody can replace it. So, please, spare your children under 13 any stories like this one. Whether it's history of the Holocaust or Black History or any other story of great cruelty, done by one group of humans to another.

After 13, okay. Although, probably, children old enough to learn about this topic are also strong enough readers to read chapter books, yes? Maybe even the "Diary of Anne Frank"?

[Maite Velasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review # 6
The story is about a family coming together for Hanukah. After dinner, the grandmother sits down and starts skinning and making a hole in a potato while she tells the story that she tells every year at that time. Both sisters had been in a Jewish camp during World War Two when they were teenagers. And were assigned to work in the kitchen. As Hanukah drew closer, they started stealing some butter, and matches and finally a potato. Back at their barrack, they used the potato to create a candle for Hanukah, the candle lifted all of the women there. Back in the present the grandma finishes telling the story and skinning the potato and lights it on.
The theme of the book is that of the courage given by family and the importance of sharing traditions with every generation. We learn how Great Aunt Rose and Grandma kept each other going in the camp. Them telling the story and keep using the potato candle is a way to pass on the knowledge to the younger generations and the importance that single candle had for them.
I really liked the way the book used one personal story to be able to tell part of the Jewish experience in the concentration camps as well as the cultural importance of Hanukah in this religion. The illustrations go well along with the text and provide hints to the mood and what is going on. The story reminded me of when my family comes together for Christmas, we all sit down for dinner and then my Grandpa along with his two brothers and his sister tells us stories about traveling through Latin America when they were young. They had a tough time always being outsiders but they managed to get through it because they were, and still are, always there for each other. Like in the story family means a lot to my family and listening to old stories, no matter how many times we have heard them is always part of our holidays.
I would recommend this book for upper elementary children when they are learning about World War Two in their social studies class. The personal narrative will give context and a way to relate to the events. It can also be used to talk about different religions and tolerance. The use of language and illustrations is complex enough for them to analyze them for rhetorical elements as well.

[Katie Andrews Potter - Storybook Ancestor · Rating 5 out of 5]

“L’chaim!”
Even if you are not Jewish, many of us know this wonderful toast – “l’chaim!” or, “to life!”

Not to spoil the ending for you, but this is how the beautiful story of the children’s book One Candle concludes – with a Jewish family toasting with the words “L’chaim!” on the first night of their celebration of Hanukkah.

An Extra Special Family Hanukkah
To this family, Hanukkah has an extra special meaning. We listen in closely to the story told from the point of view of a young girl, one of the youngest in this family, as she shares their Hanukkah tradition. Her grandmother and great-aunt were just young girls themselves during the days of the Holocaust, and were interned in the concentration camp Buchenwald in Germany.

Through Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose’s memories and illustrations, we see how in bravery they were able to celebrate Hanukkah with the other girls and women in their barracks… with only one candle. One very special candle. And so each year since, at their Hanukkah gatherings, they remember this event with their entire family, passing the story down from generation to generation.

For our entire review, please visit: https://www.storybookancestor.org/201...

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

While purely informational text, (picture books through to adult texts) are an essential part of Holocaust education, it is often the single, specific experiences, told as testimony or memoir, that have the greatest impact. In this case, the preserved tradition of a Holocaust survivor's Hannukah "potato" lighting will stay with readers. In the process, it emphasizes the meaning of Hannukah: sustaining strength in bad times and remembering those during good times.
With subtle, nearly sepia-toned images throughout that shift from joyful present to struggling flashbacks, that message blends the generations and realities in accessible and moving ways without being overly explicit for younger readers/audiences.

[Tiffanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve Bunting’s One Candle is a deeply moving and unforgettable story that I wholeheartedly rate 5 stars. With tenderness and reverence, it tells the tale of a family’s Hanukkah tradition that honors resilience and remembrance, weaving together love, history, and the power of storytelling. The narrative is simple yet profoundly emotional, and the illustrations beautifully echo its solemn tone. This is a book that brings tears to the eyes, as it reminds readers—young and old—of the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable hardship. It is nearly impossible to read aloud without becoming choked with emotion, making it not only a powerful read but also a meaningful family treasure.

[Haley Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book depicts the amazing story about a family who comes together for Hanukkah and every year, the younger family members become acquainted with their Grandmother and Great-Aunt's story about survival in a concentration camp during WWII. It's such a touching and inspiring story about hope, faith and the importance of passing down memories from one generation to the next. I would recommend that children from 3rd grade-6th grade read this book because it goes into some detail about history events, like the Holocaust, that younger children would not have a good comprehension on.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.49

I've enjoyed most books by Bunting that I've read, but this one doesn't quite make a 4-star rating ... I can't really say why. The holocaust is addressed gently (appropriate for kids), as is the celebration of Hanukkah, and the story resolves satisfactorily. So ... I think it's me, not the book. I will read it with kids and listen to what they have to see.

Generally I don't care for realistic art, but Popp has captures the feeling of family in a way that supports the story and doesn't distract.

[Margaret Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Hanukkah book for kids is a way to introduce the intergenerational trauma that is part of the Holocaust. Centered around a family dinner, there is an extra potato. But not for latkes. To make a one candle menorah, just like they did in the camp. With one potato, a little pat of margarine and the threads from a prisoner's clothes. Every year they do this around a dining room table. Every year they go outside to watch the potato candle holder in the window. Every year they raise a glass and yell, 'L'chaim, To life." Timeless and very timely.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow was this powerful. Stunning illustrations and I thought a very approachable introduction to the Holocaust that got the main points across without traumatizing a young reader.

Honestly I'd say it's more of a Holocaust book than a Hanukkah book (in terms that it doesn't explicitly make links to the Hanukkah story), but it's subtly there (finding ways to practice in secret even while under oppression).

Highly recommended.

[Noah Sayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a Hanukkah during the Holocaust, and introduces some key concepts of the religious experiences and traditions that Jewish families have.
This would be a good book for introducing the Holocaust to young readers, as well as some concepts of Jewish culture. Nonetheless, a very good read :)